A 25-year-old cadet from Negros Occidental has topped this year’s Philippine Military Academy (PMA) graduating class.

Cadet First Class (1CL) Janrey Artus, who hails from Barangay Guintorilan, San Enrique, is the valedictorian of the Mandirigmang Samahan na Lakas at Sandigan ng Bayan (Masaligan) Class of 2021 and is graduating as summa cum laude.

The Masaligan Class is comprised of 164 cadets, of which 138 are males and 26 are females.

As class valedictorian, Artus will receive the Presidential Saber, Philippine Navy Saber, Australian Defence Award, Spanish Armed Forces Award, Navy Professional Plaque, General Antonio Luna Award, Academic Group Award, and the Department of Leadership Plaque.

He will also receive the Humanities Plaque, Mathematics Plaque, Computing and Information Sciences Plaque, Management Plaque, Natural Sciences Plaque and the Social Sciences Plaque.

Artus, the son of a retired soldier and a retired teacher, will be joining the Philippine Navy.

The Negrense lad was completing his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering degree at the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) when he passed the PMA entrance examination.

Meanwhile, Cadet 1CL Daryl Brix Colita of Malaglag, a native of Malalag, Davao del Sur, is the second ranking graduate of the PMA Masaligan Class of 2021.

Also in this year’s top 10 are Cadet 1CL Valerie Mae Dicang of La Trinidad, Benguet (3), Cadet 1CL Jan Hernan Perez of Alabang Hills, Muntinlupa City (4), Cadet 1CL Christine Joyce Andog of Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija (5), Cadet 1CL Feljoy Ending of Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental (6), Cadet 1CL Harold Mars Sastado of Batangas City, Batangas (7), Cadet 1CL Pamela Calleja of Malinao, Albay (8), Cadet 1CL Michael Angelo Madriga of Tabuk City, Kalinga (9), and Cadet 1CL Shirley Fatima Lim of Tacloban City (10).

The graduation ceremony is scheduled on Monday next week, May 10.IMT